Foreign Affairs

Response to FOI request also reveals that department spends £66m a year on IT

The department’s Richard Burn named HM trade commissioner for China during UK government’s three-day trade mission

After three years as chief executive of the UK body for overseas cultural relations, Devane talks to Tamsin Rutter about its relationship with government, funding challenges and how Brexit has changed his priorities

Cabinet secretary responds to Lord Lawson’s criticism that officials want to “frustrate the Brexit process”

Former UN ambassador began work as department’s top official yesterday

The UK government has taken a leading role in combatting Daesh’s plan to weaponise the international media. Dan Chugg, former head of the C-Daesh Coalition Comms Cell, explains how this has been achieved

Public Accounts Committee warns “a lot at stake” with Carrier Strike programme 

Confirmation of the new ministerial portfolios following last week’s reshuffle reveals switch in ministerial responsibilities for public appointments

MPs urge government to scrap immigration target and introduce annual migration report

What can we expect from the Department for International Development’s new gender equality strategy, and how can other departments can learn from the plan to improve gender equality in the UK? Mark Rowe reports

MPs ‘disappointed’ with government rejection of recommendations for extra safeguards to prevent sidelining of ministers in key decisions 

Prospect says funding uncertainty puts UK’s world-class defence industry at risk

Brexit department seeks 35 policy leads and 25 senior advisers on up to £64.5k

Rob Behrens understands the importance of learning from other people’s difficult experiences. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman tells Richard Johnstone how his international work has shaped his approach, and how he hasn’t given up on a plan to merge with other ombudsmen

PCS union accuses department of casualising the workforce as proposal follows years of staffing cuts

Philip Rutnam and predecessor Mark Sedwill join HMRC’s Edward Troup in list of public servants recognised by the Queen

Peers question MPs' decision to further redact Brexit documents and call on David Davis to publish entire papers

With the end of 2017 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2018 – and tell us what they cannot do Christmas without.

FCO teams up with DFID and British Council to tender for four-year framework to provide networking to 550 sites in the UK and throughout the world

Cabinet secretary makes “statement of intent” about future rights to work in government

Department wants extra cash to fund efficiency reforms and a full defence review to follow national security adviser's work

Think-tank analysis identifies concessions on residency rights, a £39bn bill on the ‘never-never’, and hand-tying assurances on Northern Ireland in draft agreement

 Public Accounts Committee criticises departments' “business as usual” assumption for 2019 and berates pace of pan-Whitehall Border Planning Group